There are six liver-brown bars on the tail, the last of which is nearly an inch from its end. Under-surface :—Chin white, succeeded by a belt extending from ear to ear of liver-brown feathers, having pale yellowish-brown margins. Behind the belt there is a gorget-shaped mark of pure white. The rest of the lower surface of the body is crossed by very regular transverse bars of white, alternating with bars of equal breadth (three lines) of liver-brown, shaded with chocolate brown. The yellowish-brown base of the plumage is likewise partially visible : there is a white menial line on the breast, and when the long feathers covering the abdomen are turned aside, a good deal of white appears about the vent. The outside thigh-feathers are yellowish brown, with distant cross bars of liver-brown • and the legs and feet are brownish-white with brown spots. The linings of the wings are white, with bars of liver-brown, margined by yellowish-brown. The insides of the primaries are bright buff, crossed by broad bars of clove brown. On the under surface of the secondaries the clove-brown bars are much narrower. The under tail-coverts are whitish, with distant bars of liver-brown. The under surface of the tail has a slight tinge. of buff-colour, and is crossed by mottled bars of elove-brown." The bird preys, according to Richardson, on the American hare, Hudson's Bay squirrel, mice, wood-grouse, &c., and builds its nest of
sticks on the top of a lofty tree, hatching in March. The young, two or three in number, are generally fully fledged in June. The eggs are white.
Wilson observes that it has been known to prowl about the farm house and carry off chickens from roost. "A very large one" says that author, "wing-broken, while on a foraging excursion of this kind, was kept about the house for several days, and at length disappeared, no one knew how. Almost every day after this, hens and chickens also disappeared, one by one, in an unaccountable manner, till in eight or ten days very few were left remaining. The fox, the minx, and weasel were alternately the reputed authors of this mischief, until one morning the old lady herself rising before day to bake, in passing towards the oven surprised her late prisoner regaling himself on the body of a newly-killed hen I The thief instantly made for his hole under the house, from which the enraged matron soon dislodged him with the brush-handle, and without mercy dispatched him. In this snug retreat were found the greater part of the feathers, and many large fragments of her whole family of chickens." There are specimens in the Gardens of the Zoological Society in the Regent's Park.